March in the Northern Hemisphere

[Mariette]

Mariette, your different colour variants of Scilla bifolia are very nice, I especially liked the pale blue one.
I have now in recent years planted different kinds of Scillas, and began to wonder how easily they hybridize? If I will have pure species at all after some years.
My nicest one is this S.bifolia 'Taurica' from Augis Bulbs, it is a very large one.

It took many years till hybrids appeared in my garden, Leena. But now more and more turn up, though the vast majority of the seedlings remains to be pure species. Scilla bifolia var. taurica is one of my favourites, too! It´s more substantial than the usual Scilla bifolia and by some considered a species of its own, Scilla taurica. Unfortunately it´s no good grower in my garden nor sets seed. Nevertheless I learnt that in a french garden it´s a weed!

[Rick R.]

Thanks, Veronique. Your extra information is really helpful.  I too, have found that many times the "right" environment makes the same plant perform differently. 

[MarcR]

I marvel at Your collection of violas, Véronique! Unfortunately, they are too prone to slug damage to be an option in my garden.

Some of my camellias produce chance seedlings. I wonder why the larger part of the seedlings from single japonicas show more or less double flowers.

Mariette,

Most Camellias sold are hybrids with a long list of parents contributing to the final result.  A seedling from such a hybrid can show traits from any of the contributing parents.  To clarify,  even within the japonica genome there is enough variation that hybridization within the genus gives a wide range of results.

[Véronique Macrelle]

Mariette, I find it simply incredible to have ‘spontaneous Camelia seedlings’ that flower!
Leena, I'm making a note of the Violas you don't have, and I'm waiting for the cleistogamous pods.

V. jooi doesn't always germinate and I don't know why. In exchange, its seed pods are quite well furnished. In general, violets are fussy about germinating.

Viola variegata only produces a few seeds per pod, which wait to spend a winter in the ground before germinating. It's not the easiest plant to keep, and I've only just got back 2 seedlings from last year. I need to propagate it more.

I'm trying to collect violets, but it's not easy to find new species: you have to find good fresh seeds and manage to germinate them.

I also lost V. walterii this winter: it never wanted to grow well here.


Success stories (sometimes a bit damaged by aphids)
-Viola mandshurica alba: a lovely first flowering on a plant that took an extremely long time to develop (to the point where I had doubts about its identification): 2nd spring and no sign of vegetative propagation! At the height of the season, this Viola produces leaf blades 10 cm long.
-Viola betonicifolia albescens, 3 to 5 cm high, looks rather like a miniature of Viola mandshurica

[Mariette]

Mariette,

Most Camellias sold are hybrids with a long list of parents contributing to the final result.  A seedling from such a hybrid can show traits from any of the contributing parents.  To clarify,  even within the japonica genome there is enough variation that hybridization within the genus gives a wide range of results.

Thank You, Marc! Indeed, Camellia japonica has a long breeding history! Nevertheless, compared with other plants, the percentage  (maybe 75 %) of double flowering seedlings from single flowered mothers seems surprising.

Two days ago I discovered the first peony in flower on my allotment. 

[Véronique Macrelle]

it's superb: which one?

[Mariette]

Véronique, I don´t know. Years ago I received 4 small seedlings as P. mlokosewitschii, and three of them flowered these last years in the way one might expect: cup-shaped flowers in light yellow. This one is the last to reach flowering size, and a nice surprise for me. The flowers open more widely to a bowl, presenting well the satiny sheen of the rosy petals. Also, this one flowers earlier than any of the Paeonia mlokosewitschii in my garden, though this may depend on less favourable conditions.